Rotterdam: 14-year-old also dies after being shot

According to police, a 32-year-old student from Rotterdam shot three people in an apartment and in the university hospital. The man was arrested and the firearm was seized, police chief Fred Westerbeke said on Thursday evening in the Dutch port city. “We see this as a targeted act.” But the motive is still unclear.

In the early afternoon, shots were fired in an apartment in the west of Rotterdam, as the police chief described. The man shot a 39-year-old and seriously injured her 14-year-old daughter. She later died from her serious injuries. According to initial findings, the man then set fire. The alleged perpetrator then drove to the nearby university hospital. There he opened fire on a 46-year-old lecturer in a lecture hall, who died as a result. The suspect then set fire to the clinic.

The police moved out quickly. Two helicopters were in use, as were special forces. A short time later, the suspect was arrested on the helicopter platform at the University Hospital.

Some departments of the clinic were evacuated. Doctors, nursing staff, students and even patients stood horrified in front of the building, as could be seen on TV images.

Hospital staff on the run.
Bild: BAS CZERWINSKI (ANP)

Why the man picked up the gun remained unclear on Thursday evening. Initial investigations revealed that he lived in close proximity to the woman and girl who were killed.

He was wearing military combat clothing and a bulletproof vest, Police Chief Westerbeke said. He was himself a student at Erasmus University. But it was initially unclear whether he had lessons with the slain lecturer. As of 2021, he had a criminal record for animal cruelty. He is scheduled to be brought before the judge on Friday.

Rotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb expressed his condolences to the victims’ families. “We were shocked by a heinous act.” Prime Minister Mark Rutte was also horrified. The royal couple expressed their condolences to the relatives and victims. “We also think of everyone who was in fear during these terrible acts,” said King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima.